Ps 37 1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away."
The Psalmist is teaching that because of first sin God has taken complete control over society by blessing and cursing. When we are born we are in a broken relationship with God. The Psalmist says that God is angry with the wicked every day. The reformers teach that God is alienated from the wicked man. But at the same time even tho wicked are alienated they are still made in the image of God. They reason that since Gods elect are also corrupted with original sin then they cannot be the ultimate judges of the wicked. Love is overlooking the sin of the human race in order to show respect for the image of God in all men.
But the question is love suspending judgement in this life until the end of this time sequence? How can the elect respect the image by showing Gods love? So this is where I have a disagreement with the reformers. My question is what kind of love are they describing? The bible teaches that love is the fulfillment of the law. Does the bible teach that love is accepting wrong in order to show that we are no different because we are also sinners? In my understanding this is not love that is directed by the law but rather by the emotions.
But the teaching is that love is the fulfillment of the law. We cannot say then that we are charged with accepting offenses outside of the requirements of the law. In other words where ever love exist it is communicated in relationships by the active and passive obedience to the law. The definition of biblical love is relating to all men in complete compliance of the law. So we are taught in this Psalm that the only hope of being loved in the biblical way is for the law giver to treat us with the respect of the image of God by the substitution of Christ. Christ obedience made us worthy of being loved by Gods actions displayed in His law, covenants, curses, decrees, promises, and statutes. In other words the only love that is acceptable is the eternal love of God that show the true value of His elect on the basis of His actions to us in fulfilling His law. God does not love us with emotion but action.
So the Psalmist is addressing this question on how to show respect to Gods image in loving the wicked as sinners who cannot fulfill the law of God. We must first address the purpose of the law of God as it is given. The 10 commandments address how we are to love God and man. Whenever the Psalmist address the violation of the law of God, our vertical offenses are always direct horizontally. This is why in the Psalms salvation or deliverance is not only the personal reception of the gifts of God but also being translated into a kingdom of blessing. The entire scope of the love of God that is related in actions of God toward us and toward men must be ordered according to the eternal counsel of God in blessing and cursing. This is why he teaches us that all of our hope of knowing the love and care of God is understanding that God has predetermined to "cut the wicked off. " So the love of God is transferred in control of His kingdom in the defense of the curse and the promise of the blessing. The reality of the attributes are God transferred under the control of renewal.
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away."
The Psalmist is teaching that because of first sin God has taken complete control over society by blessing and cursing. When we are born we are in a broken relationship with God. The Psalmist says that God is angry with the wicked every day. The reformers teach that God is alienated from the wicked man. But at the same time even tho wicked are alienated they are still made in the image of God. They reason that since Gods elect are also corrupted with original sin then they cannot be the ultimate judges of the wicked. Love is overlooking the sin of the human race in order to show respect for the image of God in all men.
But the question is love suspending judgement in this life until the end of this time sequence? How can the elect respect the image by showing Gods love? So this is where I have a disagreement with the reformers. My question is what kind of love are they describing? The bible teaches that love is the fulfillment of the law. Does the bible teach that love is accepting wrong in order to show that we are no different because we are also sinners? In my understanding this is not love that is directed by the law but rather by the emotions.
But the teaching is that love is the fulfillment of the law. We cannot say then that we are charged with accepting offenses outside of the requirements of the law. In other words where ever love exist it is communicated in relationships by the active and passive obedience to the law. The definition of biblical love is relating to all men in complete compliance of the law. So we are taught in this Psalm that the only hope of being loved in the biblical way is for the law giver to treat us with the respect of the image of God by the substitution of Christ. Christ obedience made us worthy of being loved by Gods actions displayed in His law, covenants, curses, decrees, promises, and statutes. In other words the only love that is acceptable is the eternal love of God that show the true value of His elect on the basis of His actions to us in fulfilling His law. God does not love us with emotion but action.
So the Psalmist is addressing this question on how to show respect to Gods image in loving the wicked as sinners who cannot fulfill the law of God. We must first address the purpose of the law of God as it is given. The 10 commandments address how we are to love God and man. Whenever the Psalmist address the violation of the law of God, our vertical offenses are always direct horizontally. This is why in the Psalms salvation or deliverance is not only the personal reception of the gifts of God but also being translated into a kingdom of blessing. The entire scope of the love of God that is related in actions of God toward us and toward men must be ordered according to the eternal counsel of God in blessing and cursing. This is why he teaches us that all of our hope of knowing the love and care of God is understanding that God has predetermined to "cut the wicked off. " So the love of God is transferred in control of His kingdom in the defense of the curse and the promise of the blessing. The reality of the attributes are God transferred under the control of renewal.
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